


The Song That Speaks To Your Heart

by JustARainbowDisaster



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Miraculous, Alternate Universe - Rock Band, Aromantic Asexual Alix Kubdel, Bisexual Male Character, Bisexual Nathaniel Kurtzberg, Concerts, Drama, F/F, F/M, Fluff, Freeform, Gay Male Character, Gay Marc Anciel, I will probably add more, LGBTQ Character, LGBTQ Themes, Lesbian Juleka Couffaine, M/M, Marc is a mess, Marc is shy af, Music, Songfic, Songwriting, a fic that noone asked for, band au, nathaniel is a mess, possibly some angst cause you can't expect me to be all sunshine and rainbows, pretty OOC
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-23
Updated: 2021-01-23
Packaged: 2021-03-04 06:27:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,292
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24879181
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JustARainbowDisaster/pseuds/JustARainbowDisaster
Summary: Nathaniel has always wanted to be an artist, but when his best friend Alix, asks him to join her band, he can't say no to her.Slowly but surely, their group becomes more and more popular to the point where he needs to drop out of school... And like that wasn't enough, Mylène had to leave the group and now they were left with no singer.Nathaniel will never accept a new singer but what happens when Marinette introduces a certain someone to the band?!PLEASE READ THE NOTES AT THE BEGINNING AND THE END OF THE CHAPTER THANK YOU!
Relationships: (Klance if you would like :D), Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug(minor), Alya Césaire/Nino Lahiffe(minor), Chloé Bourgeois/Luka Couffaine(minor), Ivan Bruel/Mylène Haprèle(minor), Juleka Couffaine/Rose Lavillant(minor), Marc Anciel/Nathaniel Kurtzberg
Comments: 39
Kudos: 31





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Hello there! :D
> 
> I am here with a band AU that had been stuck in my head for a while!  
> I am not sure if this should be a Narc or Klance fic so I started with the Narc version. If you would like a Klance one please let me know!!!!  
> * THIS CHAPTER IS NOT EDITED*  
> If you like this chapter and would like to read more of this or state an idea, feel free to comment and I will be very happy if you do!
> 
> Please leave some kudos if you liked this teaser( cause that's actually what it is even tho it's long)!

Nathaniel has always been good at art stuff. Whether it is drawing, sketching, or even sculpting, it’s like he was made to be an artist. He can and will paint on anything really, be it a wall, canvas, or plain paper. 

He had big dreams since he was little. Firstly, he would go to an art school, he was sure about that. He dreamed of having his gallery full of his work and thousands of people admiring it, while he sat in the corner and watched them with a smile on his face. He wanted to be remembered as the greatest and most talented person in the world! Even though he was shy about his work and he rarely showed it to anyone, as the years went by, he started to get more confident, to the point where he organized a small exhibition at the local gallery. After he saw how successfully that went, he left his insecurities behind and was ready to chase his dreams.

That was 2 years ago.

Let’s just say that we don’t always get what we want.

Don’t get him wrong, he loved art school but when his best friend Alex asked him to join her newly formed band, he couldn’t say no to her. He played the piano since he was five and loved music. It would be just a little fun part-time thing anyway, so it should be fine, right?

Well, it appears that a lot of people liked their music even though at the beginning it was just covers of other songs. And that’s when it started to downhill for Nathaniel. Due to all the fans they had gained, his responsibilities within the group got more and more, to the point he couldn’t go to art school anymore. He just didn’t have time about that and it’s not like he could abandon his band-mates now that they had gotten so famous, even if that wasn’t their goal, to begin with.

So his dream to be an artist changed to him being a musician, who inspired others and helped them express their feelings through his music.

With him playing the piano, Alex and Luka at the guitar, Juleka at the bass, Nino playing the drums, and Mylene singing, he thought they could achieve anything. They were a mix of characters, characteristics, vibes, and energies which might make someone think that they are weird and won’t last as a group for long, but it’s the exact opposite! Just because they are so different, that’s what makes them fit so well, like puzzle pieces. They complete each other perfectly and that’s what makes them so unique. They were ‘The Guardians’.

They were a family.

And you might think, why ‘were’? 

It was not a secret that Mylene and Ivan were crazy in love. Like since they were thirteen. They had been together for seven years before Ivan (finally) proposed to her. And of course, she said yes. They were all invited to the wedding and he must say it was beautiful. When he saw Mylene walking down the aisle, in her gorgeous wedding dress, a smile so big that could light up a whole room, he cried of joy(but don’t tell anyone that, especially Alex). His friend, bandmate, the sweetest person on the entire world, the most talented singer he had ever encountered, the person that helped him through his struggles when it came to deciding if he should drop out of school, a part of his chosen family, all grown up and getting married to the man of her dreams. So yeah, he cried a little (or maybe a lot).

He was so happy for her, he was, but he couldn’t understand this. Why did she have to leave? Yes okay, she was married and expecting a child, but she could at least leave until she gave birth! Okay, he might be a little selfish; he knows that a mother needs to be as close as possible to her child especially a newborn one. But how were they supposed to work without their singer? The peacemaker of their group? Their mom friend? The one that always reassured them and listened to their problems? Their fans and the rest of the group were accepting already supporting her decision and wishing her the best, but Nathaniel couldn’t process it, he didn’t want to. They were a family, you can’t abandon your family! 

Nino was in a happy relationship with their manager, Alya, Luka and Chloe were an odd couple but they brought each other’s best qualities to the surface and Juleka and her best friend, Rose, were dancing around each other for a while now. Does that mean that they will leave too? He didn’t want them to leave, they just couldn’t. They were a family, right? He wasn’t sure anymore…  
*************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************  
The only ones left would be him and Alex who (thankfully?) was aromantic/ asexual while he on the other hand was sure that he would never be in a relationship whatever his preferences were.

They had to look for a new singer soon. It was the right thing to do. If you ask Nathaniel though, he preferred to leave the group behind than to let a stranger take Mylene’s place. He was angrier at the others than her now, because were they for real? Were they seriously going to let go of Mylene so easily and accept someone to stand behind the microphone, sing their songs? He was frustrated, to say the least.

There was no way that he was going to simply go with that plan. He was never gonna accept a new addition to the group even if it Beyonce! They were bonded, the had been through thick and thin together, they couldn’t let someone in their little family so easily! Why couldn’t the rest of the group understand him? Why were they going down without a fight? How could they agree to something like that? Mylene was a part of them, and it would never be the same without her no matter how talented her replacement was. She was irreplaceable, they would never be her. Never.

But it looked like Nathaniel was the only one grieving, because the next day, their costume designer and stylist, Marinette came by with a surprise.


	2. Someone To You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Here are the tryouts for the new singer! Have some grumpy Nathaniel, a clumsy Marc, Alix, and Nathaniel friendship and some Luka as the group's dad!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! Sorry for the long wait! I was trying to find a beta reader, which was extremely hard, but thankfully ChiefBubbles -> https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChiefBubbles/pseuds/ChiefBubbles , helped me out with this chapter so can we have a round of applause for them, please?
> 
> Anyways, I hope everyone is healthy and happy, without further ado,
> 
> Enjoy :D

Today was the day that they had to make their decision. They needed a singer, and today were the tryouts. Nathaniel was nervous, to say the least. He had been fidgeting in his seat for the past ten minutes, looking at the floor like it was the most interesting thing in the world, thinking of all of the potential scenarios.

What if they were all too good and they couldn’t decide? That was impossible; they would never find someone as good as Mylene. Nathaniel had stated from the start, that his answer would be ‘no’, no matter what. His friends had frowned at him and he was pretty sure that Alix was starting to have enough of his shit, and would probably kick his ass after everything was into place. Well, that was a problem for later though; thank God she was busy with preparing the studio for now.

What if they were all so bad and they couldn’t find anyone? That thought puzzled him, and even though he didn’t want anyone taking Mylene’s place, it would be unfortunate to have to disband because they couldn’t find a replacement. On the other hand though, maybe then Mylene would take pity on them and return? Nathaniel grinned at the thought. That was it! Maybe getting her back wouldn’t be as hard as he thought!

Now all he could hope for was for all of the singers to make at least one mistake so he could have a reason to say no. 

***

Marc Anciel was _not_ having a good day. 

First of all, his cell phone died in the middle of the night, so his alarm didn’t go off. Which means that he woke up an hour later than he intended to, and immediately started panicking.

His friend Marinette would come over to get him to the studio that the band she worked for practiced in. And she was supposed to come over in about…20 minutes?!

He hurriedly hopped into the shower, got dressed, and tried to do something about his hair. The blackbird nest on his head that he called hair just wouldn’t cooperate! Maybe he should consider getting a haircut? His hair was starting to get longer, to the point where it touched his shoulders. He simply put it in a messy bun, a few raven locks escaping and framing his face.

He took a look at himself in his full-body mirror and sighed. His shirt had a mud stain from when he fell off his bike while going to the park, and he had forgotten his jacket. He rushed in his room and attacked his drawers, in the search for a clean t-shirt. He found one of his favorite tie-dye ones and grabbed it, trying to get his head through the sleeve hole in his hurry.

That’s when the doorbell rang. Marc cursed under his breath.

He tried to get to the door while still fighting with his shirt. He somehow managed to reach for the door handle and let whoever had come to visit ~~or rob him~~ in.

“Good morning Ma- What is going on?!”, he heard a familiar feminine voice yell.

“Good morning to you too, Marinette. A little help?”, he said, or mostly tried to since his words were muffled by the fabric.

The woman laughed at his antics and helped him get out of the mess he had created. She then offered him a bag filled with goods from her parents’ bakery while he looked sheepishly at her and mumbled a ‘thanks’.

“I am guessing that you were getting ready before I came in, have you got everything you need?”

“Yep, just give me a moment to get my notebook…” 

“You know we are going there so you can socialize and not sit and write, right?” she huffed. “Maybe you should consider trying out-“

“I told you that I don’t want to. I am not that good of a singer and even if I _was_ , I could never sing in front of a crowd. Hell, I can’t even _talk_ to people without making a fool out of myself or feel uncomfortable.”

“You are very talented and you need to start acknowledging it. You have such low self-esteem and don’t understand that you are one of the best singers I’ve ever heard!”

“Look, I appreciate the flattery, but just because you heard me singing in the shower _once_ and you liked it, it doesn’t automatically mean that I am the next Beyonce. “ He deadpanned in his own Marc way.

Marinette sighed, but left it at that.

He huffed in annoyance (and in despair, because even though she acted as she had forgotten about their argument she would surely find a way to bring it up again… She was sly like that) and made his way to his room to grab the notebook.

Now that wasn’t just _any_ notebook. It was _the_ notebook.

He had been writing in it since he was ten. It began when he had to write a poem as an essay in elementary school, and after that, he grew to love it. He wrote poems, song lyrics, and short stories. He was studying as an English major at a community college while also taking orthophony lessons and was generally very happy with his choices so far. He loved writing songs as much as he loved singing them and wouldn’t mind expanding his writing to short stories.

He would never join a music group or a choir, as Marinette insisted, he preferred to keep his hobbies to himself. Don’t get him wrong, he knew Mari since they were in diapers and loved her as if she were his sister, but his anxiety and insecurities took over in important decisions like this one.

Maybe being an author and signing his books anonymously could work? Yeah, he could see that. He sighed to himself and kept that thought in the back of his mind for later. Noticing that he was just standing in front of his desk like an idiot for what felt like hours, he decided that he should go back to his friend, as they were already running late.

“You ready?” Marinette said while tapping her foot impatiently on the floor.

“Yeah yeah”

“Good because we are 40 minutes late” She scoffed and opened the door.

***

Nathaniel was extremely happy.

It had been ten minutes into the auditions and everything was running smoothly already.

Well according to _him_ at least.

For starters, out of the seventy people that miraculously managed to squeeze inside the tiny studio, sixty of them were just fans that wanted to get their autographs or film the performers. 

Which meant, that only ten people were there to try out.

After signing albums, shirts, photos, and even body parts (he would never forget about the person that asked him to sign their private parts) and answering some questions, their manager, a rather… persuasive woman, Alya, kicked the extras out so they could finally breathe some fresh air that wasn’t full of the sickening perfume their fans wore.

So when it was time to judge the ‘contestants’ Nathaniel was sure that the chances of finding a singer were low. 

He sat back at his chair, ready to criticize people (and by that he didn’t mean just their voices).

The first girl was so anxious that she was forced to go and stand behind the microphone, and before she could even open her mouth to introduce herself, she started crying uncontrollably, her sobs making her whole body shake like a leaf. The poor girl was saved by Alya, who grabbed her by the hand and led her to the kitchenette to get some water and calm down. Another girl, who was probably her friend, followed them and after her friend stopped crying, they apologized and left.

They hadn’t even begun and they were already two people down! A grin spread across Nathaniel’s face, which disappeared in a matter of seconds, courtesy of Alix, who kicked him so hard, that tears were forming in his eyes. He glared at her and raised his hand to pinch her, when Luka, the pacifist he is, cleared his throat and pointedly looked at them while motioning to the little stage they had set up for the contestants with his thumb. 

“Jerk” he whispered to her, frowning.

“Shut up idiot” she shot back and smacked the back of his head.

Luka looked incredulously at them while motioning for them to cut it out with his hand. Nathaniel rubbed the spot that the pink-haired woman hit, scowling at her. She just stuck her tongue out to him but stop when she saw the guitarist’s exasperated expression and hand signals.

Great, if they ever met a person with hearing problems, he was sure that Luka and his hand signals would be enough to make a conversation, the redhead thought.

He scoffed and turned his attention back to the person on the stage.

The next two people were… average. Nothing out of the extraordinary, they were okay but not exactly what they were looking for.

But oh the next five people…they were a _disaster._ Poor Juleka was hiding behind her bangs, Nino was trying not to laugh, Luka was trying to smile politely, but Nathaniel noticed the way his eyes wrinkled as if he was trying not to wince. Well of course he was internally wincing! If you felt like your eardrums were about to pack their things and leave your body from all the cacophony of off tuned voices that was occurring, you would wince too. That meant that they were nine people down! Only one person left and his torture would be over!

As the man was about to sing, the door opened revealing their stylist, Marinette, and a… guy? That was a guy, right? Nathaniel couldn’t be sure since the person’s hair was long and their silhouette looked fragile but yet well built. Their clothes were ordinary jeans, a t-shirt, and a jacket, which was pretty gender-neutral. But when he turned around, Nathaniel was sure that this was a man. And a very handsome one. Emerald green eyes, a cute nose, and a pretty pink blush.

“Good morning everyone I am terribly sorry for interrupting you and being late, but my friend over here is a sleepy head. This is Marc Anciel, I brought him to meet you guys! I hope you don’t mind!” Marinette said or to be exact, yelled, an apologetic smile decorating her flushed face.

Wait Marc Anciel? Nathaniel thought. He knew that guy! It was the shy kid in his math class from high school! How come he didn’t notice him? The man was gorgeous! He blushed. What the fuck? Since when did he think that guys with beautiful green eyes that glimmered in the morning sun, with their silky, long, black hair oh my God imagine how soft his hair was! He could run his fingers through it while they were sitting on his couch watching a movie and he’d ask if he could braid it and Nathaniel would say yes and his adorable face would turn this shade of fuchsia and-

He pinched himself. What the _fuck_ is wrong with his brain? Is it too late to go to the hospital and demand he gets a brain transplant because something was definitely wrong with his current one. Or maybe it was just his brain bringing up old feelings to the surface- and no, not today, this is clearly not the right time for this!

His zoned out expression was probably obvious because Juleka lightly pushed his forearm and quietly apologized for doing it but ‘he was distracted and it looked rude’.

“Welcome, Marc! It’s nice to meet you! I am Luka, this is Alix, the one with the baseball cap over there is Nino, this one is my sister Juleka and this grumpy tomato is Nathaniel.”

Nathaniel glared at the guitarist while the rest of the bans waved at the newcomer or in Nino’s case, did a two-finger salute followed by a ‘what’s up dude?’

The other boy became even redder by the sudden attention and bowed his head and mumbled an ‘it’s nice meeting you too’ that was barely audible.

Marinette grabbed his hand and brought him to where they were sitting while whispering something that the redhead couldn’t hear. Marc looked terrified for a second before he angrily shook his head in a negative matter while motioning at a notebook on his lap.

Oh great another person with hand signals. Maybe Luka and Marc could make a team and scold everyone using sign language, Nathaniel thought, the scenario seeming so funny to him, that a smile threatened to break through his grumpy façade.

Alix cleared her throat and asked the last person to come a little forward towards the microphone and begin. The man grinned and winked at her, and announced that he was going to sing something that he wrote specifically for her.

The poor woman looked taken aback, and a tiny bit scared, so she just hid her face in her hands. Nathaniel snickered and looked expectantly at the man.

In his opinion, the song was really good when it came to the lyrics, and luckily for him, the guy’s voice was awfully out of tune. But Alix didn’t agree with him at all, because apparently writing a song for an asexual/aromantic, where you express how much you want them to be yours, make out with them and marry them, is very very wrong.

Especially, when said person is a celebrity that has stated her interest (or in this case lack thereof) when it comes to love, and you just sang about how you are going to make them want you, no matter their sexuality.

Alix stood up and left the studio to get some fresh air (and get away from that psychopath), while Nathaniel grabbed the man so they could… talk. No one, and when he says no one, he means no one, disrespects his best friend like this, and gets away with it. Let’s just say, that man would have to visit the nearby police station for harassment. 

Meanwhile, Nino and Juleka went to look for Alix, while Luka, Alya, and Marinette stayed to help with cleaning up. All the people had left, half the band was out, and the rest were in the storage room to get the cleaning supplies. So, now very happy that all of the people that cam today sucked, he passed by the kitchenette, grabbed two glasses of water, and was about to go find Marc when he heard it.

There was an angelic voice singing a soft tune, emotion pouring out of the song in buckets. He didn’t know the song, he had never listened to it nor had it ever come up when he was scrolling through YouTube. Did that person write the song? The red-haired man was captivated as the beautiful voice continued singing.

I wanna be the one you’re guiding,

‘Cause I believe that you could lead the way~

I just wanna be somebody to someone, oh

I wanna be somebody to someone oh, oh

I never had nobody and no road home,

I wanna be somebody to someone

The rhythm was getting more hyper as the sound of a shoe against the hardwood floor of the studio started mixing with melody, creating a background sound that accompanied the music perfectly. If only Nathaniel knew how to play the drums so he could be a part of this, this beautiful masterpiece. Instead, he stood in the corner, listening to the _pat pat pat_ of shoes hitting the floor becoming quicker.

And if the sun’s upset and the sky grows cold,

Then if the clouds get heavy and start to fall,

I really need somebody to call my own,

I wanna be somebody to someone!

Nathaniel could feel the emotion pouring out, all the desperation, sadness, the very few hints of hope; it all came crashing down to him. This was a voice of a pained person, who has been hurt, who is scared and it was time to express it. A person who needed to be comforted, who needed someone to care for them. Nathaniel didn’t notice the tears running down his face until he heard the light sound of them hitting the floor, matching the shoes’ rhythm.

Someone to you,

Someone to you,

Someone to you,

Someone to you.

The last word was being sung so softly, so full of passion, love, and adoration. It made Nathaniel cry more. He wanted to get to know that person. Whoever hurt them was a dumbass and didn’t deserve them. He had to know. He needed to know who was singing. It was the sweetest voice he ever heard, so captivating, so raw, so… _real_.

The redhead made his decision and poked his head into the room where they hosted the tryouts only to find-

_Oh no_

The glasses slipped from his grasp and fell to the floor making an awfully loud noise, as they shattered in front of his shoes, scattering around the room. The person singing stopped abruptly, turned their head, and looked at him like a deer caught in the headlights. Emerald green eyes were looking at him in horror and _oh no,_ this is _not_ happening there is _no way_ this is real, because _the_ Marc Anciel is looking at _him_ full of fear and the only thing he can do-

“You-you can… _you can sing_?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading! 
> 
> Kudos and comments are very much appreciated!
> 
> Stay safe!


	3. Water Fountain

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Here comes the confrontation you've been waiting for! Get ready for internal monologues, unexpected events, and some even more unexpected visitors 👀👀

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone!
> 
> Sorry for taking so long but online classes are a pain.
> 
> This chapter was beta- read by two lovely people (see end of notes)!
> 
> They were a huge help, so please give them a round of applause!
> 
> 👏👏👏👏👏👏
> 
> Without further ado, 
> 
> Enjoy :D
> 
> [writersmuse ](https://archiveofourown.org/users/writersmuse) and [Aiyume](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aiyume)

“Y-you can… You can sing?” Nathaniel gasped.

_ Fuck. _

Marc felt his world  _ collapsing _ . His high school crush was standing in front of him, horror written all over his face as he searched for answers.

Marc was good at reading people. He didn’t like socializing and he didn’t have lots of friends, because he didn’t need them. He had his books, his words, and his lyrics to keep him company (and Marinette, though she was too chatty and bubbly for him at times). On the other hand, he was very concerned about what others thought of him, which had always been one of his biggest insecurities. So he started observing people. Their body language, when their nose scrunched, the way their turquoise eyes shone, the times when they tucked their long hair behind their ear, the way that their tongue stuck out when they were focusing on their canvas—

Okay, so maybe Marc mostly observed Nathaniel, although he would never admit to it aloud. It wasn’t in a creepy-stalker kind of way. At least that’s what he liked to think.

The point is, ever since he had been noting down the red head’s every muscle movement in high school, he had never seen him pull a face like that.

His turquoise eyes were wide in shock, his eyebrows were raised, and he looked…betrayed?

So all in all, Marc was terrified. Not only had he been singing a very personal song that he wrote about a certain someone, but he was also  _ so _ lost in the moment that he didn’t notice that someone had been listening to him.

What would Nathaniel think about him  _ now _ ? Did he think that the song was too sad? Too sappy? Too “I’m a hopeless romantic please save me?” Did he know that the song was for him? Wait, what about his voice? Was he off-tune? Did his voice crack? Was he too loud and disturbed him? Did he think that he was an awful singer?

Marc was  _ panicking _ . He wanted to crawl into a hole and die of embarrassment.

He felt hot liquid pouring down his cheeks.

_ Am I crying?!  _

Oh no

_ Oh no _

He couldn’t control his breathing. He started panting, trying to breathe properly.

“Marc? Marc, are you okay?”

_ Yeah, dude you only gave me a small heart attack nothing to worry about, at least I can die happily now since the last thing I’ll see before dying is going to be your face. _

The green-eyed boy tried to desperately listen to Nathaniel, but all he could do was watch his lips move.

“What’s happening, Did I scare you? Should I call Mari?” 

Marc could feel the anxiety and panic radiating from Nathaniel.

_ Ha _

He finally noticed him huh?

Not the right time.

Not the right place.

And he still couldn’t  _ breathe. _

_ But he noticed him! _

“Hey come here,” Nathaniel cooed as he gathered him in his arms.

“Breathe with me okay? Inhale,” he instructed.

“Exhale.”

_ “Inhale.” _

_ “Exhale.” _

Marc copied the red head’s breathing patterns, really grateful for his efforts at trying to calm him down. He became complete putty against Nathaniel’s chest. How on Earth was he meant to focus on his breathing if the only thing he could think about right now was locking lips with him.

“Easy now. I am sorry for…triggering this,” Nathaniel nervously mumbled. “Are you okay?”

Marc nodded, not trusting his words.

The other boy sighed, relieved.

“Thank God, Marinette would have my head if I upset you.”

_ What? _

_ Oh. _

So he only did that to protect himself from Marinette’s wrath? It was just a fake act of kindness with no feelings attached. What was he thinking of course it was! Nathaniel didn’t even know who he was! Who would look at him and immediately like him? Like him enough to hug him and comfort him with no personal gain? Especially when—oh crap! Did he just break down in front of a total stranger? He was stupid. Of course the pianist wasn’t interested! He just wanted to be a good host and not get beaten up (or worse knowing Marinette).

He almost sobbed at the thought of Nathaniel thinking lowly of him. Was that really what he thought about him? That he was just an overemotional, shy crybaby? Well, he did just have a mental breakdown because the redhead caught him singing. Shit, he forgot about that! That’s worse! Now he was sure that Nathaniel thought that he was a wannabe crybaby singer! No no no no no!

“Um, are you okay I’m—“ the red-haired man started but was interrupted by a loud squawking noise that escaped Marc’s lips. 

The singer leapt out of the other man’s arms, too caught up in his internal rambling to notice that his former crush was still  _ holding _ him, with one hand on his forehead, probably checking for his temperature. 

_ Great, he was so awkward and weird that Nathaniel thought he had a fever. _

♫♫♫

_ What the actual fuck was he thinking? _

How could he manage to fuck it all up like that?

Did he seriously tell him that he helped him because Marinette would beat him up? What was wrong with him! It was his fault that Marc got upset after he very  _ rudely _ crashed his singing session. Then he  _ even more rudely _ demanded to know if Marc could sing. Like  _ man, you were there the whole time what the fuck are you asking him. Get your act together _ ! And finally, the cherry on top, was when he thought that he made up for everything after comforting him from the crying session that  _ he _ had caused _ ,  _ he  _ seriously  _ told him that he hugged him and calmed him down because Marinette would chop his balls off.

Nathaniel wanted to face-palm so hard that he would lose consciousness. Maybe if he banged his head hard enough he would forget the whole incident. That wall over there would do nicely.  _ Hey, perhaps after this, Marc hated him so much that he would knock him out himself!  _

Wait…

Marc hated him!? Why wouldn’t he! He was  _ terrible _ ! He was waiting around the corner while listening to the raven sing like a perverted stalker! That’s when an awful,  _ awful,  _ thought washed over him. 

Marc could  _ sing. _

Like, actually sing. He had the most angelic voice he had ever heard! No offense but Mylene didn’t hold a candle—

_ Mylene. _

Mylene, who was supposed to come back. Mylene, their  _ former singer _ . The one that he swore to  _ never _ replace. He actually thought of Marc taking her place.  _ How? _ That was unacceptable! He couldn’t do that! Marc was a very good person and an exceptionally talented singer but… he made a promise. He wouldn’t let anyone steal her place behind the microphone no matter how good they were.

_ So he had to let him go, huh? _

A sad feeling washed over him. He would have to pretend this never happened. He wouldn’t tell the others about this, Marc wouldn’t try out and he wouldn’t visit them again. He’d go home and let his angelic voice go to waste while Nathaniel waited for Mylene to come back like a loyal puppy.

The pianist mentally groaned. Maybe he should ask the other man to sing again, one last time? Yeah, he probably should, considering how rude he was earlier.

“Um, Marc… could you—“ Crap his voice cracked. He audibly cleared his throat and continued with no less confidence than before, “Could you sing for me?” He asked gently, his head bowed, with his eyes shyly peeking behind his red locks.

Again, there was another squawking noise from the singer.

“Eh? You want me to s-sing? Oh, no believe me you don’t! I’m a t-terrible singer, you heard me! Your eardrums will break and there will be b-blood everywhere and that scary pink-haired lady might think I m-murdered you and she’ll have my head!” Marc stammered through his words, falling into a distressed monologue along the way.

_ Cute. _

Wait,  _ no _ ,  _ he’s the enemy _ ! He shouldn’t think of him as cute! The only angel-like quality he has is his voice! That’s why he wanted to hear it one last time before he made him leave the studio completely. Nathaniel knew that in reality, Marc was a  _ demon in disguise _ , here to take Mylene’s place. Perhaps he shouldn’t have been so friendly? Then again, revealing his true intentions of getting rid of him was definitely cruel after what he had put him through.

“Please?” He decided it was safer to go along and not be mean, since the raven appeared to be a very fragile person.

“Okay…” the man finally complied. 

He opened his notebook, trying to find a song that wasn’t too personal. He finally settled on a well-practiced piece he wrote for an assignment. He raised his head only to find Nathaniel looking at him intensely. 

“Could you please c-close your eyes? I’m a little nervous from before…” Marc asked, hiding his face in his palms, a little embarrassed to be asking the well-known musician such a request. 

Moments of silence passed when, out of curiosity, Marc raised his head from his hands to look for Nathaniel, to find him sitting with his back turned to the singer. A glass of water was placed next to his notebook. Marc was astonished. His throat was dry from his previous singing and crying, and not only did Nathaniel close his eyes, but he also turned his back to him to give him enough time to get prepared and brought him water!

Did the man  _ actually _ care? The raven smiled and opened his mouth.

She told me that she loved me by the water fountain

She told me that she loved me and she didn't love him

And that was really lovely 'cause it was innocent

Nathaniel smiled at the sweet tone of the other man’s voice. The pleasant feeling filled him and spread warmth through his body. He really liked the boy’s voice. It calmed him. Captivated, he listened to every word, every syllable, every sound that escaped the singer’s lips.

But now she's got a cup with something else in it

It's getting kind of blurry at a quarter past ten

And he was in a hurry to be touching her skin

She's feeling kind of dirty when she's dancing with him

Forgetting what she told me by the water fountain

Nathaniel was fully engaged at this point, fully submerged. The lyrics were melancholic, talking about a sad love story and Nathaniel was deeply moved. He hadn’t felt so many emotions at once since forever. He wanted to listen more, to go through the protagonist’s pain and experience his sorrows. It reminded him of when his grandma would read him stories and he begged her for more. A smile made its way to his focused face when he traveled back to the fond memory.

Now he's grabbing her hips, and pulling her in

Kissing her lips, and whispering in her ear

And she knows that she shouldn't listen

And that she should be with me by the water fountain

The pianist was completely entranced. Marc had put him under his spell again. That’s why he hadn’t noticed that the singer had brought another chair next to the one he was currently sitting on. The melody was smooth, another song that he hadn’t listened to on the radio. Did the raven actually write these? He desperately wanted to ask but he didn’t want to interrupt the sweet tunes pouring out of the singer. It would be a shame since that’d be his last time singing in front of the former artist. After all, no one would know about this except the two of them, and Mylene’s place would be secured.

As Marc was about to sing what Nathaniel thought was going to be the chorus, a voice broke the spell.

“Wow, Marc why didn’t you tell us that you could sing! You’re so talented!”

_ No. _

_ No, no, no. _

_ Why? Why now! _

Everything was going so smoothly! Why did they have to come back  _ now _ ? First of all, Alix would most likely beg Marc to try out after those awful tryouts, and second, it meant Mark had to stop singing!

Startled, the singer latched on the closest thing he could find. Which in this case, was Nathaniel. 

“Dude, that was amazing! Wanna practice a song with us?” Nino praised him.

Marc hid his face in the pianist’s neck out of instinct, making said musician turn a lovely shade of red.

“Marc! Get off of Nath!” Marinette yelled, making the singer flinch.

The singer flinched at the loud sound and Nathaniel internally winced. He protectively wrapped his arms around the man, glaring daggers at the bluebell eyed woman.

Maybe he could stand up for him.  _ Just this once. _

The man’s figure was trembling in his arms. 

“You don’t have to do it if you don’t want to,” he whispered in the raven’s ear.

Please say no.

_ Please. _

He was praying to every deity he knew for Marc to decline.

“Okay, I’ll give it a try since Nathaniel d-didn’t get to hear the whole song.”

Wait,  _ what. _

He…

He would  _ actually _ do it?!

Because  _ he _ told him that he wanted to hear him sing?

That did miraculous things to the pianist’s stone-cold heart that he would never admit to. Damn it, he’s the  _ enemy! _

“Great let’s get started! By the way, did you write the lyrics and the music? I haven’t heard that song,” a much happier Alix asked. Nathaniel had completely forgotten about the previous incident, but he was relieved to see that his best friend was fine.

“Um yeah, I wrote all of my songs from s-scratch,” he answered. At least he didn’t stammer that much this time, and his voice didn’t crack at all.

“That’s amazing! Do you think that you could give us the music sheets? We can practice that song!” Luka asked enthusiastically.

“Sure!” The raven shyly handed the guitarist some pages.

“Thanks, are you ready?”

Marc hesitantly nodded. He got up and stood behind the microphone, leaving Nathaniel’s side feeling cold and empty.

“Yo, lover boy you coming, or are you going to sit there forever?” Alix, subtle as ever, shouted.

“Shut up, I’m coming!” Nathaniel grunted and flipped her off.

They had both a piano and a keyboard in the studio, but considering the soft tune of the song, Nathaniel decided to take his seat in front of the piano’s keys. 

And just like that, they started.

  
  


♫♫♫

About a minute or two after they began, voices could be heard from the back of the studio. Marc, who noticed it first, abruptly stopped singing. The others, confused, stopped too.

“Hey we were doing pretty good why did—“ Nino didn’t get to finish his sentence before a new group of people walked in.

“Well, well, well… what do we have here?” someone said cackling.

“Have the losers found a new replacement after loser number three left? Pathetic. Guess she didn’t want to be associated with pieces of crap like you anymore,” the person continued.

“You!” Alix screamed, her voice dripping venom. “What are you doing here you bitch?” she yelled, raising her guitar above her head like a baseball bat.

“Well, I came to see who you chose to replace loser number three of course!”

Before they could finish what they were saying, Nathaniel smashed the piano’s keys, making the instrument create a terrible noise.

“Her name is Mylene you witch—“ he yelled but they cut him off.

“I didn’t ask for your input, loser number four.” The other people laughed at this, making Nathaniel’s blood boil.

“Anyways, I came here to make fun of you, obviously, but I changed my mind.” They said while picking at their nails.

“What?” Luka rhetorically asked, looking incredulous.

“Yeah, I was surprised too,” they coldly chuckled.

“The reason that I’m still here is because of  _ him _ ,” they said a bittersweet smile on their face.

  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading!
> 
> Kudos and comments are very much appreciated!
> 
> Stay safe!


	4. Your Life

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is chaos :)
> 
> *dumps character development and drama*
> 
> Marc , makes a decision and Nathaniel has an existential crisis.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone!
> 
> First of all, I want to say a huge thank you to all of you who leave comments on this series and everyone who supports my work. I really appreciate it and It makes this journey much more enjoyable <3
> 
> Anyways as always, enjoy :D
> 
> This chapter was beta-read by the amazing [Aiyume](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aiyume)

“The reason that I’m still here,” Lila said, as a devilish smile made its way to her face, “Is because of  _ him _ ,” she emphasized the last word by raising a perfectly manicured finger to point towards the raven.

Nathaniel was  _ furious. _

How  _ dare  _ she? She and her group barged into  _ their  _ studio like they owned the place, and demanded Marc, a literal  _ stranger _ to them, like he was an animal up for adoption. The redhead chose to ignore the little voice in his head that kept telling him that Marc was a stranger to him too.

“Excuse me” Marc interrupted the pianist’s thoughts. Nathaniel's head snapped so quickly towards the other man that he almost broke his neck. It was obvious that Marc felt uncomfortable, but it seemed like he was trying to put on a brave face.

Awe swelled inside Nathaniel’s stone-cold heart. Had Marc understood what kind of person she was? The Marc that first walked into the studio with the most adorable shade of fuchsia on his face and who always flinched whenever someone raised their voice, was replaced by a Marc that had his brows furrowed, his nose scrunched up and his hands crossed over his chest. He looked serious, confused, and angry, but if you stared hard enough you’d see that in that dangerous glint in his eyes there was also some fear. His figure was slightly trembling and his hands had a tight grip on his forearms, but it looked like Nathaniel was the only one who noticed how uncomfortable the singer felt.

“Do I know you?” Marc asked. At this point, the calmness in his voice and the lack of stuttering was unsettling. What in the hell was going on?!

The question seemed to hover over the room before Lila let out an audible gasp.

“You— you  _ don’t  _ know who  _ I am _ ?” she sputtered.

"No" Marc curtly responded.

Nathaniel was internally  _ cackling _ because  _ damn.  _ That definitely damaged Lila’s ego.

“I’m Lila Rossi! My group got the third place award last year!” she looked like she was about to pop a blood vessel.

Marc turned to Nathaniel in confusion.

“Didn’t you guys win first place last year?” he asked.

Ah, yes. They won first place in the national competition with that awfully hard song. Of course, he remembered, since not only did he get a prize, but hand cramps as well. He was just glad that that hell of a music sheet was thrown into his fireplace and turned into ashes.

“Yeah we did,” Nathaniel answered smugly.

“Why are you smug you little—“

“So they’re better than you,” Marc turned his attention to Lila and pointed in Nino’s general direction. There was no hint of malice in his voice; he uttered those words like he was stating mere facts.

Minutes that felt like centuries passed, without anyone saying a single word when Luka broke into a fit of giggles. The dude fucking  _ giggled _ . Soon after, Alix started snickering while Nino laughed so hard that tears were forming in his eyes. Lila was looking at them, astonished, before looking at the floor, tears threatening to spill.

“You think this is funny? Making fun of me and my group? You pieces of shit! You don’t know my story!” she yelled.

_ Oh God, not this shit again. _

_ Please don’t fall for her acting. _

_ Please. _

“Stop crying,” Marc ordered.

Lila raised her head and looked directly at him, confused. Why was he so insensitive towards her? Is that how he reacted to a girl that was crying? What was wrong with him? Could he see through her acting?

Everyone had their eyes glued on the singer.

Where the  _ fuck _ did their cinnamon roll go? Who was that man? Did he get  _ possessed _ ? Should he call an exorcist? Was he going to be able to _ find _ an exorcist? If he did find one, maybe he could ask him to take care of Lila too! Wait how much would he have to pay though? Do exorcists even get paid?

“Did you just tell me to shut up?” she asked, unable to believe that someone was speaking to her that way.

“I’m sorry, did I stutter? I do kinda have that issue sometimes.”

_ Okay, damn dude. You killed her. May she not rest in peace, amen. _

“My dad owns  _ Silver Records _ ! He can make you a star!” she tried to reason, forgetting about her act.

“Well that’s why you’ll never win gold,” Juleka mumbled.

“What did you say you bi—“ before anyone could react, Luka had sprinted across the room and pinned her against the wall.

“Say that again about my sister, dare you?” he asked, glaring straight into her eyes.

“Let go of me you freak! I’ll call my bodyguard!” she shrieked.

“Fine, I wouldn’t want to catch that psycho disease you have anyway.” He smiled sweetly at her and walked back to his friends.

“I do not have the time to interact with you lowlifes any longer, now if you’ll excuse me, I would like to propose a deal.” She rolled her eyes and put up her best act for Marc.

Why was she still so persistent? Couldn’t she see that Marc remained apathetic during her previous theatrical performance?

“So, my little angel—“

“The name’s Marc,” Nathaniel growled. ”And he’s definitely not yours,” he spat, stretching his hand protectively over the singer who was standing behind him.

_ ‘He’s not yours either’ whispered that little voice in his head once again. _

The raven’s eyes widened comically, the tips of his ears turning red.

_ Was Nathaniel actually protecting him? Did Nathaniel think that he needed to be saved? Was he really that pathetic? He was tired of everyone trying to protect him, treasuring him like an ornament made of glass. His sister, his professors, Marinette, and now…Nathaniel. He was emotional but not fragile. He wasn’t some damsel in distress; he could fight on his own. Right? _

_ “I’ll show you that I can handle this! I don’t need your help; let me be strong for once!”  _ the singer thought.

Marc placed his hand on Nathaniel’s shoulder and squeezed a little, trying to grab his attention.

The red-head slowly turned his head towards the man and for a moment, the anger seemed to dissipate from his eyes. His face barely softened as he tried to ignore how loud his heartbeat sounded in his ears.

The singer forced a smile through gritted teeth and lowered the pianist’s arm. Nathaniel was petrified. He had never seen such an unkind smile make its way to the raven’s lips before.

“Thanks for the concern, but I can handle this.” He said and looked at the woman in front of him.

It was just a phrase, just a few words, but they made Nathaniel feel awful. It wasn’t anything important, just a statement, a fact. Marc was an adult, he could definitely handle such situations on his own damn it, he probably  _ had  _ dealt with such situations before. But why did Nathaniel feel so…heartbroken? He only wanted to help, to prove that he was his friend,  _ that he cared about him!  _ But maybe having a literal stranger who was stalking you, and saw you cry not that long ago, try to defend your pride was uncalled for. He probably shouldn’t have said anything. A small part of him though, just couldn’t sit back and watch as Lila was talking to the raven. It felt  _ wrong. _

“My name is Marc. I would like to hear the deal.” The rest of the group looked at him, shock written all over their faces.

“Marc, my dude, correct me if I’m wrong, but are you actually considering making a deal with the devil herself?!” Nino yelled, exasperated.

“Why yes Nino, as a person that can make a decision on his own, I’d love to listen to what Miss Rossi has in mind.” The singer replied with a fake smile. Honestly, he was starting to get fed up with the group. He knew that Lila’s intentions might be anything but good, but he never listened to other people’s judgment, especially about a person, and decided to form his own opinions instead. Don’t get him wrong, they were all great people, they really were, but why couldn’t any of them understand that he wasn’t fragile? Why did everyone think that he was weak? It made Marc furious. He could do whatever he wanted for fuck’s sake!

Lila smiled wickedly, as Nino’s face fell. He was about to protest when Luka clenched his teeth and grabbed his sleeve, tugging him back.

“You have one week. Practice with these losers for one week. You can decide whether you want to stay with them or come with me. Just a heads up, if you do join me, you’ll be signing a contract with  _ Silver Records _ and get a generous salary each month. Think about it. I’ll come here at the end of the week and I’ll expect you to have made your decision by then.” She smiled.

“I just want to listen to you sing again, is that okay?” she asked.

Nathaniel couldn’t do anything other than watch the scene unfold in front of him. He felt like he failed without even trying. That he got rejected without confessing. Like he lost, without even participating in the match. He felt…  _ defeated. _ He found a person that made his heart ache with just a few notes, his cheeks blush with every small touch, his eyes search for him when he wasn’t near. He spent less than a day with him, but he was already  _ certain, _ that a day without hearing his voice would be a miserable one. But he chose  _ her _ . Every thought about him being his enemy was temporally erased, as he silently mourned over the _ stranger _ that he  _ never got to know _ , the  _ one _ thing that he  _ lost _ without it even being  _ his. _

Marc took his place behind the microphone and took a deep breath.

He could do this. He had learned the song by heart and he wouldn’t have to sing all of it, easy peasy.

He glanced at Lila and her group. Their faces were decorated by pleased and excited expressions alike. The brunette gave him a small thumbs up and smiled at him encouragingly.

_ Maybe she wasn’t that bad after all… _

He then looked at the currently number one band. They looked betrayed, but it seemed that they wanted to listen to his singing.

Nathaniel wasn’t even looking at him. Hurt and confusion haunted his beautiful features, as he stared at the floor intently like it had murdered his family.

The singer stood still for a moment. How was he going to sing in front of so many people? Before he could feel shy even for a second, he shook his head.

_ This is not the time to get scared! This is a chance of a lifetime!  _

He collected himself and took a few deep breaths.

_ Come on Marc you’re a badass. You are a total badass. You’ve got this. You are a badass you are a badass you are a badass you are- _

__

_ Are you gonna dance? _

_ Are you gonna cry? _

_ This is your life, oh _

He started off really well. He hit all the notes correctly, his voice not wavering at all. He poured all of himself into his singing, easily capturing everyone’s attention. He sang softly, without lowering his voice. His eyes instinctively closed, and he let himself get lost in the sweet melody that was only audible in his own head.

__

_ Are you making plans? _

_ Are you gonna try? _

_ This is your life _

__

A few brave rays of sun dared to peek through the studio’s thick curtains. They illuminated the singer’s face, leaving little trails of light on his long eyelashes, the tip of his nose, and the curve of his lips. Nathaniel looked up and felt the air leave his lungs.

_ Angelic. _

Tears start forming in his eyes. He shouldn’t have helped him. He  _ should _ have stopped listening to his singing earlier and gone to look for Alix. He  _ should _ have decided that Marc was his enemy from the start, with no exceptions. He  _ should _ have refused to practice with him. He should have been rude. He  _ shouldn’t  _ be feeling like this.

While the sun created a bright halo over the raven’s head, Nathaniel felt his heart shatter in a million pieces. He would lose him to that witch. This was unfair. Marc choosing Lila was unfair. Marc not giving them a chance was unfair. Nathaniel wanting him to join the Guardians after he vowed to not let anyone take Mylene’s place was unfair. Nathaniel starting to have feelings for a stranger was unfair.  _ Everything was so unfair. _

__

_ You saw some things that you didn’t expect to _

_ Nobody to help you, listen close _

_ Cause what you keep, is never goin’ leave you _

__

Luka couldn’t help but feel angry. Lila waltzed in their studio all high and mighty, demanded Marc, offered him a contract and money and Marc immediately complied. After finding the perfect addition to their group, a singer  _ that even Nathaniel approved of _ , only to have him snatched by Lila. But he couldn’t blame him. He noticed how uncomfortable Marc looked around them most of the time. And of course, when Lila walked in, he suddenly transformed into a whole different person. The Guardians wouldn’t be able to offer him a contract and money this soon, so this was a chance of a lifetime. Furthermore, Lila was an…attractive woman.

Luka visibly shivered at the thought.  _ Was Marc interested in Lila? _

__

_ It’s only gonna leave you with the _

_ Long nights of cold sweats _

_ Searching for the silence, you can’t get _

__

Juleka was the least expressive member of their group. She was shy, rarely talked, and her expression remained apathetic at all times. But right now, she felt even emptier. She thought that Marc would be their saving grace. That he would be the hope they had been searching for, that he would help them win first place once again. Ever since Mylene left the group, even though their fans were supportive and understanding, they were of course disappointed. They almost disbanded because they could not find a singer and Nathaniel’s constant protests and refusals made them fall behind as a band. They lost lots of fans, they had to get a new manager after their last one abandoned them, and they lost their contract with  _ The Miraculous Records _ .

Every time she passed by her brother’s room at night, she could hear him crying. As the leader of the band, he felt guilty about the situation, but he would never admit it. Her heart clenched at the broken sounds that could be heard from his bedroom door. So, when Marc appeared, for the first time in a while, Juleka felt relieved. They could be complete again. He was the ideal person for their little family. The one that could unite them again. The one that would help them break the charts, destroy Nathaniel’s walls, and bring the fun times back.

_ And relieve her brother from the pain. _

__

_ It only takes a couple months to know _

_ Everything you love _

_ And now you can’t look at yourself _

_ Crying till the hot water runs out _

__

Marc stopped. He opened his eyes, only to shield them with his arm, because of the sun rays that fell directly on them.

“I’m satisfied. So, little angel, do we have a deal?” Lila extended her arm towards the raven and waited expectantly.

The singer took a few steps towards the woman and gave her his hand.

The sun shone brightly around the two people in the center of the room. It illuminated the group of happy faces, Nino’s and Alix’s shocked ones, Luka’s heartbroken expression, and Juleka’s grim one. But the most breathtaking sight, was the splash of colors, in the warm tears that were running down Nathaniel’s face.

_ “Deal.” _

__

__

__

__

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys, I swear I'm a part of the protection squad-
> 
> *runs away from the angry horde of Marc stans*
> 
> Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it!
> 
> Also, I have an Instagram account and I'll be very happy to interact with my readers! My dms are open so come yell at me :D
> 
> [My instagram](https://www.instagram.com/miraculousgabriella/)

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed and if you did, please let me know if I should continue this, turn it into a Klance fic or abandon the whole mission :)
> 
> Comments and kudos are very much welcome!


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